The National Championship brought a ton of talented teams to Kentucky to compete for the last live period of July. We walked around the 50 courts at the Kentucky Expo Center throughout the tournament taking note of players who stood out to us. Now when we say stand out, we mean a player who caught our eye for one reason or another. While that may be a team’s best player, it also could simply be a player whose effort made it impossible for us to not notice them. Below you can read about some of those players that stood out to us throughout the event. 

Please note: Some of the write-ups below were already featured on X (@riseupsports1) during the event. Please let us know if any of the information below is incorrect and we will get it fixed as soon as possible.

Samantha Price

2025 Indy Magic Scott E40 | Class of 2025
Uses her size to her advantage. A very high level shot blocker. Moves up and down the court and makes the right reads and knows when she needs to take over. Can knock down her jumper but the paint is her specialty. A well rounded forward that can affect the game in a lot of different ways.
-ETHAN GRANTZ

Nataya Strader

2025 LGR McBride E40 | Class of 2025
Great control of speed. Scored inside and out. Shifty moves. Made plays for teammates. Really just did a little bit of everything.

KaMyra Barber

B2B Blue Jays 2025 | Class of 2025
A difference maker on the court. Can score from all three levels. Crashes the glass and never gives up. A high level on ball defender that can block shots and disrupt the flow of the game as well. Has good court vision which allows her to make something out of nothing. Overall she makes a big impact on the game.
-ETHAN GRANTZ

Ella Finley

2025 Kentucky Premier Browning NE2K | Class of 2025
Very high IQ plays. Very solid and remains composed with the ball in her hands. Facilitated very well running the point. Showed consistent ability to knock down outside shots while also showing how she can weave through traffic on drives and get to the rim. However, she is a very unselfish player who always looks to make plays for teammates.

Claire Murphy

Mac Irvin Fire Select 17U | Class of 2025
A matchup nightmare. She can use her size and strength to score in the post but don’t leave her open from three because she will make you pay. Has good defensive instincts. Plays good iso ball. The tandem duo of her and Jade is scary for opposing teams. A player that every team would like to have.
-ETHAN GRANTZ

Addison Soutar

2025 Louisville Lady Aces | Class of 2025
Showed a ton of toughness after coming back in after an injury. Had some really nice blocks and used length to make things hard as a defender. Stepped out and took outside shots offensively. Made some nice passes.

Danielle Jones

2025 Louisville Lady Trojans | Class of 2025
High motor. She played most of the game and it didn’t seem to phase her. Has a good release from 3 and a nice hesitation. Can score from all 3 levels, while being aggressive in all aspects of the game. Can finish through contact. Her presence in the game helps the Lady Trojans tremendously.
-ETHAN GRANTZ

Isabelle Combs

2025 Richmond Heat Campbell | Class of 2025
Strong on the boards. Really fought hard for rebounds. Good hands inside. Made some nice post moves.

Makenzie Mason

Louisville Legends 17U | Class of 2025
Good vision. Makes a lot of good reads. A skilled offensive player. Good release from deep but has the ability to put a shoulder down and take it to the rim. She likes to get her teammates involved but can create her own shot if needed.
-ETHAN GRANTZ

Sydney Parks

Team Texas Flames 17U Puma | Class of 2025
Very skilled. Is very quick and has the ability to make plays on the fast break both defensively and offensively. Sydney had a tough chase down block on a fast break today that just exemplified how she plays. She’s a problem on both ends of the floor but shines on defense. She’s someone you don’t want guarding you.
-ETHAN GRANTZ

Natalie Mai

2025 Team I-90 RYAN
Very shifty. Made it tough for defense to stay in front with her quick moves. Scored at all 3 levels and had a really nice pull-up jumper. Good elevation on shots. Nice job going after rebounds and finishing with contact. Good handles.

Molly O'Toole

2025 Team I-90 RYAN
Good extension on drives to finish at the rim. Attacked gaps well. Nice ball handling moves when pressured. Grabbed the ball off the rim after shot went up.

PLEASE TAG THE FOLLOWING PLAYERS/TEAMS IF YOU KNOW THEM:

#11

2025 Michigan Drive Premier Vinson
Nice handles and shifty moves to get past defenders. Great job staying active defensively and getting into the passing lanes for steals. Quick and quick hands.

By Alyx

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